Real Madrid dominate at the Bernabeu and Kylian Mbappe gets his first Champions League hat-trick with his new club.
Thibaut Courtois—6.5: Three saves on the night but was rarely tested.
Fede Valverde—8.5: Reportedly played with a hamstring injury but that did not prevent him from being one of the best on the pitch. Continues to shine at the right back spot and shut down any threat from City.
Antonio Rudiger—7: Good to have the German back in the team with his leadership and physical presence both providing a boost.
Raul Asencio—9: The bigger the stage, the bigger the performance for Raul Asencio in his debutant season. Produced an inch perfect 50 yard long ball over the top of the City defense to assist Kylian Mbappe on the opening goal. Was resolute as a defender and showed off his impressive speed. His recovery and slide tackle on Marmoush in first half will go down as a career highlight.
Ferland Mendy—6.5: Did his job and shut down City’s right flank.
Dani Ceballos—8: The midfield metronome. It’s clear that this Real Madrid team constantly look for the Spaniard in possession to facilitate the game and glue the team together.
Tchouameni—8.5: Justifiably had his critics earlier this season. Tonight he gets his due credit, he was fantastic. Played his role to perfection. Maybe he took Casemiro’s advice from the mid-week interview with AS: “it’s best not to be the protagonist, the six is the one who has to sacrifice for others”.
Jude Bellingham—7.5: Should be heralded for the work he did off the ball in a left midfield position. Constantly sacrificed for the team and put in the hard yards. On the ball, was able to combine to devastating effect with the three forwards.
Rodrygo—9: Like Jude on the opposite wing, put in a massive shift defensively and worked hard to maintain the balance of the team. On the ball, was a constant threat. The combination play between the three forwards was at its best tonight. Registered an assist on the second Mbappe goal with a delicate pass around Khusanov. After the match, Bellingham praised Rodrygo’s work ethic and called him “the most naturally gifted player in the squad”.
Vinicius Junior—6.5: Quieter game vs Vini’s lofty standards but worked hard for the team and was involved in the build up play for the second goal.
Kylian Mbappe—10: A Champions League hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu against Pep Guardiola’s City — these are the nights Mbappe came to experience. This match has signaled his arrival to all of Madridisimo and to the rest of the world. Kylian Mbappe at this level raises the team’s ceiling to an astronomically high level.
Substitutions:
Eduardo Camavinga—5: Heavy touches and rash tackles, one that led to the free kick conceded at the end of the game where City scored.
Brahim Diaz—6: Limited touches with the game won but worked hard in the 4-4-2 on the right side of the pitch.
Luka Modric—6: Late substitution to provide some rest for the team and maintain control.
David Alaba—N/A: Late substitution in the 90th minute.
Endrick—N/A: Late substitution in the 90th minute.